Gardner, Ernest Arthur: Poet and artist in Greece (London: Duckworth, 1933)

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POET AND ARTIST IN GREECE

Odysseus to Alcinous, comprising the events from the
departure from Troy to the arrival at Calypso’s island ;
and the narrative of Odysseus’ parting from Calypso, his
return to his native land, and the destruction of the
suitors. Accordingly in the one, which consists of Books
IX. to XII., the story is told in the first person, and in the
other, Books I. to VIII. and XIII. to XXIV., the poet him-
self is narrator, and the tale is in the third person. Both
parts contain many episodes which lend themselves to
illustration. It will be convenient to take them in


17. Odysseus and Cyclops (Aristonous Vase)
accordance with the sequence of events rather than in the
order in which they appear in the poem.
The first of these adventures to appeal to the vase-
painters was that with the Cyclops Polyphemus. The in-
cidents which they chose to represent were the devouring
of Odysseus’ companions by the Cyclops, the offering by
Odysseus of the cup of strong wine which overpowered
the monster, the preparation and heating of the Cyclops’
club, the thrusting of it into his one eye, and the escape
of Odysseus and his surviving companions by clinging to
the sheep as they passed out of the cave. Accessories such
as the cave itself, and the baskets of cheese stored on
poles, also occur. Some of them are separately treated,